When Denny Quigley bought the 164-site Kozy Rest Kampground in Harrisville, Pa., 11 years ago, it was a run-down park with very little seasonal or overnight business.

But, according to a press release, it’s a different story today.

As one of the newest additions to the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort chain of resorts, Kozy Rest is a popular camping destination with family activities, weekend entertainment as well as cabin and yurt rentals. It’s also one of the highest rated campgrounds in the country. In the past four weeks, the campground has received:

• The “Park of the Year” Award from the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC), the most prestigious award available in the private campground industry.

• An “A” rating from GuestRated.com, a Murrieta, Calif.-based company that tracks online consumer ratings of campgrounds across the country. This is the fourth year in a row that Kozy Rest has received an all around “A” rating from GuestRated.com.

• Four awards from Milford, Ohio-based Leisure Systems Inc., the company that franchises Jellystone Parks across the country. Kozy Rest received Leisure Systems’ highest inspection award, the Pinnacle Club, for scoring above 95% on their annual facilities inspection as well as awards for “Rookie of the Year,” “Recreational Programming” and “Outstanding Customer Service.”

Quigley said he and his family have come a long way since they acquire the campground just over a decade ago.

He noted, “I remember attending my first campground industry conference in 2000 and seeing campgrounds receive the ‘Park of the Year’ award and thinking that would be great to get, but I have so, so much work to do. Where do I start?”

Quigley said he and his son, Gary, found the path to success by attending the School of RV Park and Campground Management in Ogelbay, W.V. and soliciting ideas from faculty members on ways they could improve their park’s facilities, amenities and service.

The Quigleys started by improving the campground’s landscaping and adding a campground store, complete with propane and ice. They later added rental cabins and a mini-golf course.

Even after joining the Jellystone Park chain in January, the Quigleys continued to add more features to their park, including an inflatable bouncer, mining sluice and a dog park.

The good news for the Quigleys, of course, is that these improvements are not only translating into national recognition for their campground, but increased business as the park attracts growing numbers of families from Pennsylvania and across the Northeast.

“It feels so good,” Denny Quigley said. “All of the education on customer service and business planning that Gary and I received is paying off.”

You all deserve these prestigious awards for all the hard work that you have put into the campground and continue to put into it every day. Every stay for us is fantastic and lives up to the great reputation that you have built up. Thank you for all that you do and we’ll see you folks on Memorial Day!